Free Newsletter
N.Y. firm liable for Fla. firm's failure to file claim
Just the other day I came across a case from New York, which should scare the bejesus out of every attorney practicing whether in this state or any other state. An Appellate Court in New York held that a New York law firm could be liable to a client for the failure of a Florida […]
Why attorneys inevitably mishandle crisis situations
The title of this column derives from a monthly media coaching session I conducted for a corporate law firm client. As you can imagine, the advanced billing for this session created quite a stir. We started with a scenario involving a real estate developer whose demolition contractor bull-dozed the wrong house. To make matters worse, […]
OpenOffice.org offers frugal alternative to Word
It seems that one of the world’s most unpopular people is Bill Gates. See YouTube’s “Bill Gates Runs Like a Girl,” or the Microsoft chairman taking a pie in the face. Sure, he’s nerdy, but I don’t really get the Gates-haters, having better uses for my time and energy. Still, I do understand the notion […]
Fed’s new mortgage rules won’t stop fraud
As the panic continues about the “subprime mortgage crisis,” pressure has been put on regulators to do something to stop mortgage fraud. The “crisis” has been blamed largely on corrupt mortgage brokers, and so last week the Federal Reserve adopted new mortgage regulations. Before discussing what the rules will and won’t do in regard to […]
Marital property agreement concerns remain
The prospective divorce client comes to your office with a marital agreement in hand. Well, that should ensure a quick and relatively painless end to that marriage, right? Not so fast. Recently in a series of articles in this column, I examined the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision in Steinmann v. Steinmann, No. 2005AP1588, in which […]
Lawyers offer clients your guarantee of commitment
No lawyer can ethically guarantee a result. To do so comes under Rule of Professional Conduct 7.1’s prohibition of false or misleading communication, which the ABA’s commentary says includes “lead[ing] a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation” about results. However, lawyers can guarantee a certain degree of effort — which does not violate the […]
Steinmann decision contains troubling implications
A song by the Temptations comes to mind after reading Steinmann v. Steinmann. “Ball of confusion.” That’s what the law of maintenance is today. This is the third of three articles analyzing the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in Steinmann, No. 2005AP1588, released May 23. In Steinmann, the parties signed a post-nuptial agreement entitled “Limited […]
State Bar battle reflects importance of image
I may be dipping my toe into scalding water here, but I find fascinating the battle over what the future holds for the State Bar. The legal slugfest over the mandatory bar I will leave to the lawyers. My fascination rests with the resulting impact of a recent gambit by Steven A. Levine, former State […]
Court wrestles with post-nuptial agreements
This is the second of three articles analyzing the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in Steinmann v. Steinmann, No. 2005AP1588. This article will examine its implications for marital property agreements. In Steinmann, the parties signed a post-nuptial agreement entitled “Limited Marital Property Classification Agreement.” The agreement classified their assets into categories of &[...]
Expert witness looks at a jury from the inside
A few years ago, I got called for jury duty. Unlike almost everyone else who complains when called for jury duty, I was thrilled. I wanted to be on a jury. If I was going to have to do my civic duty, I wanted to get something out of it, rather than just sit in […]
Employment retaliation claims: A growth industry
Last year, for the first time, there were more retaliation charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) than sex discrimination charges. The number of retaliation claims filed in state and federal courts and agencies continues to climb. It is not unusual for employees to allege retaliation on top of underlying discrimination claims. […]
You can spend less when you dress for success
At one point during my first year as a lawyer, I was scheduled to meet with a prospective family law client. It was a Friday, and at my office we observed casual Fridays. I especially observed it. No one hates nylons more than I. I was wearing a cotton sweater and a khaki skirt, bare […]
Polls
Loading ...Legal News
- ‘Louder than a dog whistle’: Milwaukee protesters clear illegal tents, face no legal consequences
- Redistricting could draw attention to Wisconsin’s Med Mal legal gap
- Disbarred Attorney directly implicates Trump in testimony at hush money trial
- Rural Wisconsin voters face additional hurdles without ballot drop boxes
- Gov. Evers sues Republican legislators
- Man pleads guilty to producing videos depicting monkey torture
- (UPDATED) Tale of two cities: Pro-Palestinian protests in Milwaukee and Madison differ
- Madison protesters disrupt UW commencement in violation of agreement, attorney says
- Trump may face $100 million-plus tax bill if he loses IRS audit fight over Chicago tower
- Court rejects Avid Telecom’s attempts to dismiss illegal robocalls case
- Madison protesters reach agreement to comply with state law
- Madison protests turn violent, hate crime probes follow
WLJ People
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Russell Nicolet
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Benjamin Nicolet
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dustin T. Woehl
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Katherine Metzger
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Joseph Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – James M. Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dana Wachs
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Mark L. Thomsen
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Matthew Lein
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Jeffrey A. Pitman
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – William Pemberton
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Howard S. Sicula
